NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Allan Houston gave the Indiana Pacers a
haunting reminder of what happened in their last visit to
Madison Square Garden.

Houston scored 13 of his 19 points in the decisive third quarter
to lead the New York Knicks to a convincing 87-73 victory over
the Pacers and into a first-place tie with the Miami Heat in the
Atlantic Division.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak and was only the
second in 10 games for the Pacers (34-17), who remain atop the
Eastern Conference. The Knicks (31-19) and Heat (31-19) trail
Indiana by 2 1/2 games. However, Indiana slipped to 12-15 on
the road.

The Pacers still have bitter memories of Houston ringing them up
for 32 points in New York's series-clinching 90-82 win in Game
Six of the Eastern Conference finals last June 11.

In the first meeting this season at Indiana on Christmas Day,
the Pacers coasted to a 101-90 win and held Houston to 10 points
on 4-of-11 shooting while famed Knick-killer Reggie Miller led
Indiana with 26 points.

Today, it was Houston who took the game into his own hands in
the third quarter, scoring 13 of New York's first 19 points in
the second half and helping the Knicks open a 65-50 lead with an
assortment of jumpers and drives.

"We wanted to get off to a good start at the beginning of the
third quarter," Houston said. "You just try to get a few points
before they adjust."

Houston, who was selected as an All-Star for the first time in
his seven-year career this season, torched Miller and Mark
Jackson in the quarter and the Pacers never recovered. He
finished 9-of-14 from the field.

Ironically, New York started its "Big Backcourt" of Houston and
Latrell Sprewell for the first time since the December 25 loss
at Indiana. Sprewell scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

"It was fun. It reminded me of my college days," Houston said.
"I didn't worry about starting the point, I just let the game
come to me. For a time, I think the big backcourt caused some
problems for them."

Before the game, the Knicks placed starting point guard Charlie
Ward on the injured list with a broken pinky and coach Jeff Van
Gundy opted to go with the "Big Backcourt" and used Chris Childs
off the bench. However, Childs played 30 minutes and finished
with nine assists and just two turnovers.

The Pacers played their second straight game without starting
center Rik Smits, who is bothered by a sore lower back.

Without the 7-4 Smits, the Pacers had no inside threat, shot
just 34 percent from the field and finished with a season-low in
points. The previous low came in an 83-82 loss at Chicago on
January 24.

"It was great team defense and we really made it tough on them,"
Sprewell said.

Miller led the Pacers with 16 points, but was limited to 28
minutes due to foul problems. He spent most of the day arguing
with the officials and was heckled by the New York fans.

Normally a forward, the 6-9 Dale Davis again started at center
for the injured Smits and pulled down 16 rebounds, but failed to
score and was 0-of-9 from the field.

Patrick Ewing took advantage of Smits' absence and had 16 points
and nine rebounds.

"We did a fabulous job," Ewing said. "We were clicking on all
cylinders. I felt good and my shot was dropping."

"Not having to go against a 7-4 guy makes a difference, but it's
no excuse for us," Jackson said.

After a layup by Jackson pulled the Pacers within 48-43 with
10:30 left in the third quarter, Houston scored nine straight
points over the next three minutes. He hit a 23-foot 3-pointer
from the right sideline, drilled a 17-footer from the right
side, fired an 18-foot jumper from the left sideline over Miller
and hit a 14-footer from the left side to open a 57-43 lead.

Austin Croshere converted a layup to stop Houston's run, but
Latrell Sprewell answered with a layup for New York.

After a three-point play by Miller, Houston drilled a 19-foot
jumper from the right side, Childs hit a 15-foot jumper and
Houston drove past Jackson and converted a layup with 2:40 left
in the quarter, giving the Knicks a 65-50 lead.

A dunk by John Wallace, who finished with 12 points off the
bench, gave New York its biggest lead at 76-56 with 9:05 left in
the fourth quarter.

"They beat us pretty handily up there and we owed them one,"
Wallace said. "We held them to 73 points and that's enough said
right there. I thought we took it to them in the third quarter
and blew it wide open."

The Knicks opened the second quarter with a 10-1 run to take a
31-18 lead. Sprewell capped the spurt with a short jumper from
the left side with 7:56 left in the half.

Jalen Rose hit two straight jumpers and a pair of free throws as
the Pacers scored nine straight points and pulled within 42-39
with 46 seconds left in the half.

The Knicks closed the half with four straight points on a
21-foot jumper by Rick Brunson and a layup by Larry Johnson.